# Nording - Hunter Blend: Beagle



## dj1340 (Mar 30, 2009)

This comes in a course broken flake form. It has Orange and Red Virginia's with St. James Parish Perique.
The tin has a really deep rich tobacco smell and just a hint of ketchup (unlike some McClelland tins)

My tin is about 1 1/2 yrs old and was a little moist when I opened it. I rubbed some out and let it sit on
a paper towel for almost an hour. Still a bit moist but I was impatient to try it. It took a bit to get it going
but when it did, it was surprisingly cool on the tongue and retrohale. Had a few relights which I don't care 
about but continued to give that sweet Virginia flavor with just enough Perique to make it interesting.

I love Va-Pers but sometimes the Perique can be overwhelming to me. This was a really nice balanced tobacco.
Can't wait to try some more when it drys out a bit. I rub my flakes but it's broken enough to fold in your pipe
if that's what you do.

Worth a try if you enjoy Va-Pers.


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## ChakaRaka (Jan 8, 2013)

dj1340 said:


> This comes in a course broken flake form. It has Orange and Red Virginia's with St. James Parish Perique.
> The tin has a really deep rich tobacco smell and just a hint of ketchup (unlike some McClelland tins)
> 
> My tin is about 1 1/2 yrs old and was a little moist when I opened it. I rubbed some out and let it sit on
> ...


I am not sure if I like VaPers because I have not had the opportunity to try any yet. But for obvious reasons, this tobacco has me intrigued. Would you think it is they type of blend a newbie could appreciate? Thanks for your review though either way.

:clap2:


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## dj1340 (Mar 30, 2009)

I think it could be good for a new smoker. What I like about it is the Perique is more in the background. To me this lets the sweetness of the Virginias shine.
It's a flake so it's a bit different to pack. I like to rub mine out but there are plenty of people who just fold it and put it in the pipe.
Took me awhile when I first started to get the hang of smoking flakes. It's well worth the effort as there are so many good flakes out there.

I say go for it, you'll like it.


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## ChakaRaka (Jan 8, 2013)

dj1340 said:


> I think it could be good for a new smoker. What I like about it is the Perique is more in the background. To me this lets the sweetness of the Virginias shine.
> It's a flake so it's a bit different to pack. I like to rub mine out but there are plenty of people who just fold it and put it in the pipe.
> Took me awhile when I first started to get the hang of smoking flakes. It's well worth the effort as there are so many good flakes out there.
> 
> I say go for it, you'll like it.


That was what I read about the Perique not being to overwhelming. Considering I have never tried a VaPer, that might be a good thing. Owning 2 Beagles, just seals the curiosity. Thanks for your review and feedback Don.


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## ChakaRaka (Jan 8, 2013)

I tried my first bowl last night and it was very interesting. I require a second before I can articulate any impressions. But I too found it very moist. I dried the broken flake for an hour then did a basic rubout and 3 part pack. It worked out okay once I got it lit (a bit too moist still) and burned well as I sipped as slow as I could. I will dry it a bit more next time and subsequent times experience with different preps and packing.

Don, I see that you just rubbed it out too. Have you tried other preps and packing techniques with this tobacco? Do you prefer a certain pipe size for this type of VaPer? I smoked mine in a MM Great Dane that my she Beagle had just found and started to chew on (details in another thread). It is a deep bowl and made for a very long smoke. I found that I was getting a bit spinny from the Vitamin N.


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## RupturedDuck (Jan 11, 2012)

The tobacco arrives as a broken flake, and not as wet as some flakes can be. It is broken to the point that makes additional rubbing out unnecessary. I usually smoke this directly from the tin without drying, gravity filling the pipe with just a little compacting with my pipe tool. The tobacco will expand during combustion, so I'm careful not to pack too tightly.

The tin aroma is a slightly sweet hay, and a hint of that sweetness is carried into the burn. I cannot pick out the spiciness of the perique as this is a smooth and mild smoke. The tobacco is easy to light for a broken flake and burns completely, with minimal condensation and absolutely no tongue bite.

It is a quality leaf, but the flavor profile is a little boring for my abused palate. I enjoy it to absently puff upon while my mind is otherwise occupied, however it is not a tobacco that I find myself craving.


-By not rubbing this tobacco out, or drying it, I felt like smolders perfectly. The plume of smoke from each puff is not as concentrated as it would be if it was drier and rubbed out more. I think this allows for a cooler burning smoke, and normally I find that I can distinguish more of the particular flavors while retrohaling...although in this case it sounds like Don found sufficient flavor after rubbing it out whereas I found the taste profile a bit bland. Perhaps this one needs to be pushed more.

Mike, with regards to your question about pipe size for this particular tobacco...I find that flakes in general (including broken flakes) just smoke better in some pipes than others. I don't smoke flakes out of giant bowled pipes. A deep pipe is fine, but I find that flake tobaccos smoke better in narrow bowls. I usually fold-n-stuff, or, if it is sufficiently broken in the tin, I'll just drop it in.

Cheers!

RD


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## Troutman22 (Feb 2, 2011)

RD traded me a hefty sample of this so I better chime in as well.

The ketchup smell is there but very faint - which is a good thing for me because I am tiring of that smell.  I detected a good straight VA flavor with some citrus. Halfway thru the Perique got a bit spicey for me. It is a decent smoke but there are others out there I prefer for a VaPer. It did not bite at all but I was being very careful since this was my first go with this blend. I will definitely smoke the rest of my baggie but will not cellar any.


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